Today I'm sharing some wonderful new picture books perfect for spring reading...
BOOKS TO SHARE THIS EASTER FROM CANDLEWICK
Educational Insights and illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti
Candlewick Entertainment
Board Book ISBN: 9781536212310
On Sale 3/3/2020
Ages 0-3
Everyone can find an orange carrot, but what if you’re looking for a carrot of a different color? Hoppy Floppy the rabbit is combing the forest floor for carrots in all the colors of the rainbow, with the help of Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and all of their friends. Inspired by the award-winning board game, this fun, sturdy board book for preschoolers strengthens color and number recognition, with flaps for little hands to lift and explore.
By Lucy Cousins
Candlewick Press
Bath Book ISBN: 9781536209655
On Sale 2/11/2020
Ages 0-3
It’s just ducky! In a waterproof format, this irresistible Lucy Cousins character makes a splash at bath time, high-chair time, or anytime.
Join Ducky Duckling for an adventure in the pond! Her brilliantly colored friends are all there — ducks, fish, and leaping frogs. Soft, squishy, and sturdy, this waterproof, wipe-clean book is perfect for the littlest readers, whether in the bathtub, at the table, or on the go.
By Jarvis
Candlewick Press
Hardcover ISBN: 9781536212709
On Sale 3/10/2020
Ages 3-7
When Flo and her daddy go to visit a relative’s new nest, Daddy Duck says Flo must follow him or she’ll get lost. Together, they sing a song with all the directions for the journey — up, down, in, and out. But Flo starts to make up her own words, and soon she gets so carried away that she wanders off. Oh, no — now a fox is following Flo! Where is Daddy Duck? What are the words to his song again? Jarvis’s cheerful illustrations and charming text will have young readers following and singing along with Flo.
By Brenna Burns Yu
Hardcover ISBN: 9781536204926
On Sale 3/17/2020
Ages 3-7
Hazel and Twig are playing in the meadow one day when they discover an egg. “Let’s hatch it together!” suggests Hazel, and they sit on it to keep it warm. But an egg takes a very long time to hatch, so the sisters decide to bring the egg home with them. Hazel dreams of all the ways they will take care of their new pet after it hatches — building it a nest, teaching it to fly, and finding worms for it to eat. But is there a bird out there who will miss their egg? Brenna Burns Yu returns to the enchanting miniature world of Korean-American mouse siblings Hazel and Twig in a story about sisterhood, observation and discovery, and lost things coming home. Abloom with delicate natural details, this tale is perfect for any kid who has ever asked “Can I keep it?”
Gorgeous Books From Prestel
The All Around Bustletown Series
Prestel's new All Around Bustletown series (Board Book $12.95; Ages 2-5; 14 pages) by Rotraut Susanne Berner follows the activities of a charming, bustling town over the course of all four seasons! If you look closer, you'll recognize the same characters appear on every page, each with their own story. In the tradition of Richard Scarry and Where's Waldo, this series encourages kids to return again and again to each spread, following along with the characters and inventing their own stories. They'll recognize parts of their own world, while also learning about the endless ways we live, work, and play in each season. Kids will spend hours poring over these oversized pages of vibrantly detailed drawings in this joyfully illustrated series.
In All Around Bustletown: Spring (2/18/2020; ISBN: 978-3791374093), a house gets a top-to-bottom spring cleaning and farm fields are being prepared for planting. People are shopping, commuting to work, constructing buildings, and meeting friends. If you look closer, you'll recognize the same characters appear on every page, each with their own story. There's Wilfred the jogger slipping on a banana peel and his friend Erica who comes to help him. Three cheerful nuns shop, chat, and share a snack at the cafe. A stork surveys all the activity from the sky while a mischievous fox scampers through the streets.
It's summer in All Around Bustletown: Summer (4/21/2020; ISBN: 978-3791374208) and that means flowers, picnics, thunderstorms, and bike rides. It's a busy time for construction workers, farmers, and house painters. Playgrounds are filled with kids and vacationers are boarding trains in droves. In the sky a pair of balloons drifts through every scene, while on the street people of all ages make their way to an outdoor birthday party. There's even a big storm that turns umbrellas inside out, sends hats flying, but ends in a lovely rainbow.
The leaves are blowing off the trees and the birds are flying south in All Around Bustletown: Fall (7/21/2020; ISBN: 978-3791374222). Farmers are preparing the fields for winter and kids are back in school. And look, there's a water main break that's causing havoc and a chimney sweeper perched on a roof! Each time readers look at these delightfully detailed spreads they'll discover something new, whether it's what's for sale at the outdoor market or how many pumpkins they can spot on a single page. Familiar characters appear on each page--a maestro and a violinist, a balloon-toting nun, and a mom with her baby. All the activity culminates in a harvest celebration lit by dozens of paper lanterns in every shape and size.
Winter has arrived in All Around Bustletown: Winter (10/2019; ISBN: 978-3791374154) and everywhere you look people are embracing the season. At home there's baking, reading, and sleeping in, while on the farm the fields are fallow and quiet. Outside people are bundled up against the cold as they are skating, sledding, and running to catch a crowded bus. The town's buildings are alive with activity--piano lessons, a dentist appointment, shopping for presents, and visiting the museum.
By Joan M. Lexau
Illustrated by Aliki
3/24/20
Prestel Junior
A vintage children's classic about the power of storytelling, filled with eye-catching new reproductions of Aliki's iconic illustrations.
A boy is sitting on a rock in the jungle when a tiger approaches him. "Run!" says the tiger, "or I will eat you!" But the boy is too tired to run and in order to avoid being eaten he tells the tiger a story. What follows is a thrilling tale that will captivate young readers just as thoroughly as it captivated the hungry tiger. Kids will enjoy waiting breathlessly for every flip of the page as the boy tells his story involving a rhinoceros and a crocodile. Originally published in 1963 and out of print for many years, this book by award-winning illustrator and author Aliki features fabulous vintage style illustrations. This new edition preserves the vivid colors of the original book while introducing a new generation of young readers to a skillfully told story-within-a-story with a surprising and satisfying ending.
A gray day turns into a kaleidoscope of fun in It's a Great, Big Colorful World by Tom Schamp (3/17/20; ISBN: 978-3791374246; Hardcover $19.95; Ages 2-5; 48 pages), a marvelously offbeat and stimulating journey through the world of color.
One winter morning, Otto the cat looks out the window and sighs, "Why is everything so gray today?" Luckily his friend Leon the chameleon is around to show him just how many colors there are in the world. In these exciting and funny spreads filled to the brim with brilliantly illustrated objects, Leon and Otto identify people, places, and things of every hue. On pages dedicated to infinite shades of a single color, Tom Schamp's brilliant drawings play with perspective and unexpected pairings. An enormous Bengal tiger lords over an orange-tinted world, while a giant blue whale dwarfs elephants, pairs of jeans, and police officers. Throughout, cleverly inserted puns and allusions will elicit plenty of laughs from parents and children alike. Parents will enjoy the numerous ways color is depicted and kids will spend hours looking for their friends Otto and Leon as they traverse the busy pages. Best of all, this delightful adventure comes to a perfect end when all the colors come together in one beautiful, joyful rainbow of fun.
The Seedling That Didn’t Want to Grow by Britta Teckentrup (3/24/20; ISBN: 978-3791374291; Hardcover $14.95; Ages 3-7; 40 pages), a story about a reluctant seedling packs a powerful message about the benefits of being different.
It's early spring and below the earth's surface seeds are just starting to sprout. One by one they stretch through the dirt and towards the sun, extending their shoots and leaves and growing tall. All except for one seedling, who isn't quite ready. Each page of this gentle but powerfully evocative book demonstrates how some of us are different. As most of the seeds transform into strong flowers, they block out the sun from the one left behind. But the little seedling persists, twisting and turning until, with the help of bird and insect friends, it finds its own place to grow and blossom. In the end, this little seed turns into a flower that's just as beautiful and healthy as all the others. Hailed by Publishers Weekly as "delicate, complex, extravagant, beautiful and strong," Teckentrup's inviting and softly colored illustrations provide the perfect backdrop for this moving tale about being unique while subtly teaching kids about the life cycle of plants.
In Pets and Their Famous Humans by Ana Gallo and illustrated by Katherine Quinn (4/21/20; ISBN: 978-3791374253; Hardcover $17.95; Ages 7-10; 48 pages), a charmingly illustrated collection of pet-related stories, children will find out about some of history's most important scientists, artists, writers, and musicians and their beloved animals.
Did you know that Mozart's pet starling was the inspiration for his Piano Concerto No. 17? Or that writer Dorothy Parker loved animals so much she let a pair of alligators swim in her bathtub? These are just a couple of the stories in this delightful and surprising collection that profiles the strong bond between humans and their pets. Some of these stories are touching: Frida Kahlo memorialized her pet deer Granizo in her painting The Wounded Deer. Some are a little quirky: Albert Einstein, convinced that his parrot, Bibo, was sad, told bad jokes to cheer the bird up. Each of these wonderfully entertaining stories is made even more appealing by Katherine Quinn's captivating illustrations. Rich in detail and reminiscent of folk art, they capture the humor and poignancy of these fascinating pairings. Together these stories and illustrations will create lasting impressions that will help young readers identify historic figures and spark joy in friendships with the animals in their own lives.
Take on a magical journey through the world of healing flowers in Flower Power: The Magic of Nature’s Healers by Christine Paxmann and illustrated by renowned artist Olaf Hajek (4/14/20; ISBN: 978-3791373997; Hardcover $19.95; Ages 8-12; 40 pages).
Olaf Hajek's fantastical and mesmerizing art is familiar to many adults. Now young readers can enjoy his work while learning about the fascinating health benefits of flowers they encounter every day. Hajek's paintings spring to life, populated by insects, birds, fruit, and fairytales that illustrate the drama of the natural world. Accompanying each painting are engaging texts that explore various cultural and medicinal aspects of the flowers as well as their importance to artists, writers, and healers. As they learn how iris roots were used to alleviate teething pain in babies and how poppy plants led to the invention of the salt shaker, kids will also get to know a garden's worth of blooms--from wild roses to carnations and peonies to marigolds. Kids will look at flowers in a whole new light and will delight in this beautiful keepsake of botanical illustrations by a celebrated artist.
From Derek Taylor Kent
By Derek Taylor Kent
Illustrated by Bright Jungle Studios
3/24/20
Whimsical World
It's Jurassic Park meets Fast and the Furious in this uproarious and educational thrill ride as dinosaurs race one another in every vehicle imaginable to win the Dino Derby Cup. But do the tiny dinos stand a chance against their gigantic counterparts?
Roar with laughter while learning interesting facts about all the dinosaurs. Ages 3-8
Did you know that dinosaurs love to race? Well they do and it’s Dino Derby Day! Dinosaurs, big and small, gather with their various modes of transportation and set off. Who will cross the finish line first?
Little dino lovers are in for a delightful and fun treat with Dinosaur Derby! Derek Taylor Kent brings his signature laugh-out-loud funnies, charming rhymes, and whimsical fun in this dino-mite picture book. Kent’s simple, yet engaging word choices, exciting action, and quirky choices of modes of transportation will have little readers in enraptured giggles. Bright Jungle Studios animation like illustrations wonderfully bring the fun to life through bright colors, fun scenes, and awesomely rendered dinosaurs.
With big fun, larger than life characters, and giant laughs, Dinosaur Derby is a roaring good read!
Disclaimer: I received the titles above from Candlewick, Prestel, and Derek Taylor Kent for review/feature purposes All thoughts, opinions, and reviews are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment